Welder

As a welder, you’ll use metal fillers, heat and/or pressure to join pieces of metal or manufactured parts. Your work includes constructing structures and repairing broken or cracked parts to specifications, across settings from industrial facilities to commercial sites to residential projects, where your skills ensure structural integrity.

Does this sound like you?

You have good spatial awareness.

You're in good physical condition and strength.

You have problem-solving and planning skills.

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See the trade in action

Typical responsibilities

Lay out, cut, and form metals to specifications
Fit sub-assemblies and assemblies together
Prepare assemblies for welding
Use three major types of welding: arc, gas, and resistance
Use various welding and cutting processes to join structural steel and cut metal in vessels, piping, and other components
Fabricate parts, tools, machines, and equipment
Join parts being manufactured

Hear from the trades

Common skills you need for the trades

Math

Math is used across the skilled trades. You may work with decimals, fractions, measurements, conversions, area and volume to plan work, calculate materials, monitor operations and troubleshoot.

Reading

Strong reading skills help you work safely and effectively on the job. You’ll use them to understand instructions, equipment manuals, safety information, drawings and other technical information.

Science

Basic science principles help you understand how things work and how materials behave. Across the trades, this can include concepts like electricity, heat, force, pressure and the properties of different materials.

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